Unified or object modeling is commonly used to model software, business processes, systems engineering, etc., as well as represent arrangements such as organizational structures. In the business process context it is not uncommon to utilize unified modeling systems such as unified modeling language (UML), IBM's Rational Unified Process® (RUP), and IBM's Rational Software Modeler® (RSM) to characterize complex business operations. Typical characterizations include model diagrams that contain boxes (i.e., model elements) that are nested and/or linked by connectors or arrows to show process flows.
For example, consider a large multinational corporate web presence that serves millions of pages of web content to millions of viewers, which in turn drives significant revenue opportunities for the company. Such an application may involve hundreds of web developers working in different divisions, in different languages, with different business procedures and goals. Given the complex nature of the business processes, significant challenges exist in creating efficiencies to enhance the overall web presence and user experiences. Unified modeling systems however could be utilized to characterize external web users' roles, goals, use cases, activities, objects, etc. With such a characterization, the external web experience could be enhanced, which would in turn create more revenue opportunities.
However, when modeling complex processes, current modeling systems are subject to various drawbacks. One such drawback involves the relative importance of the model elements. Current unified modeling systems treat each goal identified in a model as having the same importance; i.e., each goal is equivalent in importance to every other goal in the model. The same can be said for how roles, cases, activities, and objects are treated in the model. There is no way to apply weights to goals or other elements in the model.
A second drawback involves the categorization or family relationships among model elements. Current unified modeling systems treat each goal identified in a model as having the same category or family; each goal is of the same kind as any other goal in the model. The same can be said for how roles, cases, activities, and objects are treated in the model. The way in which categories of elements are depicted is by creating a separate branching system in the UML diagram. There is no way to depict categories of goals that would make it easy to see the goal categories and relationships among the elements in a category or family.
A third drawback involves the lack of visualization of model conceptual frameworks and worlds. Current unified modeling systems provide incredible detail in relationships among elements in a model, but the output from these processes, languages, and tools are highly technical and thus not readily consumable by a larger audience who may find a model of value. Potential consumers of such models may include not only modelers, architects, and programmers, but include also key stakeholders, such as executive decision-makers, industry analysts, and external customers. There is no obvious rendering capability to create easy-to-read visualizations of the model elements in meaningful configurations. A visualization of this kind should be able to be examined by executives, analysts, or customers quickly for all information relevant to them for a high-level understanding of the model.
Accordingly, a need exists for a unified modeling system that includes more robust display features to enhance the modeling experience for different types of users.